Variety (December 1913)

10 VARIETY SHOWS AT THE BOX OFFICE IN NEW YORK AND CHICAGO Very Few Theatres Bragging About Receipts. More Un- der Than Over $6,000 Weelcly. Some Big Produc- tions Tumbling. Only Two Real Capacity Draw- ers. ''Peg O' My Heart" Breaks Its Own Record at the Cort in 51st Week. The oldest showman can not reco: lect a season that has brought so mud talk about "bad business" as the pres- ent one. It is claimed not over 12 shows are making money on the road. Several big productions have been forced to close so far, while myriads of smaller shows have passed away. In New York theatres that can brag of receipts are very few. But two lo- cal houses are playing to continual capacity. These are the Astor ("Seven Keys to Baldpate") and the Cort ("Peg o* My Heart"). For the past two weeks (with allow- ance made for Thanksgiving Day), more metropolitan plays have been drawing in under 16,000 gross on the week than over. This was settled when a party at a table which included a representative of both big legit book- ing offices tallied up the gross for each house the week before. "Too much show business" seems to be the summing up of the condition, in New York as well as elsewhere. "Too much show business" takes in moving pictures, with the feature films, where a person may be satiated with dramatics and action in pantomime for an admission fee considerably under 12. "Traffic in Souls," a feature film at Weber's, did over $3,500 last week, with a straight price of 25 cents. The legitimate producer is becoming worried. Thanksgiving passed and not much in the way of patronage expected before the holidays, and from then the season going into Lent, he is dubious about putting on new shows, with the uncertain prospects. The sea- son's bad start has deterred many new plays from being seen. One producer has approved of three manuscripts and stands ready to produce them when conditions brighten up. VxRiETr's monthly estimate of the box office takings in New York and Chicago, with the weekly average since last reporting (rather than last week which had Thanksgiving) taken as the basis, is as follows: "Adele" (Longacre) (16th week). Has had prosperous run since open- ing, but giving signs of dropping off. "At Bay" (39th St.) (10th week.) Between 15,000 and $6,000 weekly. "Gen. John Regan" (Hudson) (Sth week). Doing close to $6,000. Mis- casting of piece reported to have in- jured excellent play. Grand Opera in English (Century) (13th week). Still losing money, with no hope of turning a profit on this ven- ture. Interest and crowds dying off. Hippodrome ("America") (15th week.) Business somewhat under average and will likely remain that way until Xmas. Matinees feeling it mostly. (2d week). Got bad sUrt before first night audience through long, draggy performance of an English pantomime that had been too thoroughly Ameri- canized. Should have had its premiere at a matinee. Essentially children's play, and with nothing else for the kid- dies in New York just now will hold up well through their support. Opened Thanksgiving Eve. Did $2,800 at the Saturday matinee and $3,000 at night, though Saturday night house not ca- pacity. Nearly an hour taken out of piece following first performance. Now reads more English. Daily matinees commencing Dec. 17. Cyril Maude (Wallack's) (6th week). Maude in "Grumpy" would have been season's hit in upper Broadway the- atre. Even under adverse conditions, reported to be doing $10,000 a week. "Grumpy" held back too long. Best thing in Maude's repertoire so far shown. "Nearly Married** (Gaiety) 14th week). Not much change since last reported. Around $6,000. "Oh I Say" (Casino) (7th week). Couldn't get over to any big business. Changes in cast last week expected to help performance, but came too late for New York. Leaving end of month. "Ouraclvea" (Lyric) (4th week). Pro- nounced great play but came in too late. Had it been the first of the "sex thing," would have had long run. Do- ing nothing in the business line. Leaves this week. "Peg o' My Heart" (Laurette Taylor) (52d week). Did $13,003 last week, breaking its own record at the Cort, where it opened the house just one year ago. Capacity all the time and is as strong on the drawing end as any play now in New York. "Potash ft PerlmuUer'* (Cohan's) (18th week). Slight falling off, but re- cepits remain around $14,000 weekly. "Prunella" (Little theatre) (7th week). Not doing great deal. About $3,000 weekly in a theatre that can only hold around $5,000 with full csh pacity. Will be removed to Booth, another Winthrop Ames house. Princess (repertoire of sketches) (10th week). Not over strong at box office. Another 299-capacity like Lit- tle theatre. Getting $2.50 and $3 for scats. Needs another "Any Night." "Seven Keys to Baldpate** (Astor) (12th week). This George M. Cohan piece holding up to the capacity notch, running over $11,000. "Sweethearts" (Chrisic MacDonald) (Liberty) (14th week). Move from Amsterdam to Liberty not helpful. Do- ing around $9,000. "Xante** (Ethel Barrymore (Em- pire) (7th week). Though "Tante'* is a winner and stories are out of Miss Barrymore's long run in it, "paper" is around for the show and receipts are between $9,000 and $10,000, consider- able under the gross capacity of the Empire. Forbes-Robertson (Shubert) (9th week). No abatement of interest in this English actor, who is playing to between $11,000 and $12,000 weekly. Much difference in the handling and placing of Forbes-Robertson for New York, with that extended to his fellow countryman, Cyril Maude at WaUack*s. "The Auctioneer** (David Warfield) (Belasco) (11th week). Warfield do- ing around $13,000, not satisfactory to himself nor David Belasco, his man- ager, through the star's ability to draw full capacity on the road at 75-25 terms, with an assured gross if the capacity is there of $19,000 or $20,000 weekly. Will leave the Belasco in two weeks, for Chicago. To be followed at the local house by Belasco's production of Henri Bernstein's play, "The Secret." Secret.** "The Family Cupboard** (Playhouse) (17th week). Maintaining a steady gait that hangs around $6,000. "The Great Adventure" (Booth) (9th week). Financial fizzle. Not getting over $4,000. Will move out shortly. New house and new play. Little at- tention given to either. "The Little Cafe*' (Amsterdam) (5th week). "Fearfully miscast" is the opin- ion expressed upon this Klaw & Er- langer production that pushed "Sweet- hearts" out when the latter was doing around $13,000. "Little Cafe*' barely exceeding it. Between $14,000 and $15,- 000. not considered a success at that figure. Extra advertising necessary to hold business at this mark. "The Lure** (Elliott). Getting be- tween $4,000 and $5,000. "The Madcap Duchess** (Globe) (4th week). Around $9,000. Not commen- surate with kindly expressions of those who have seen piece, H. H. Frazee sold his interest last week for $15,000, without having invested a dollar. Music publisher reported to have been the buyer. "The Man Inside" (Criterion) (5th week). Not the hit anticipated. Doing between $6,000 and $7,000. Recital of story in reviews appeared to have left impression piece is too preachy. Re- ports of its author's. Roland B. Moli- neux, mental troubles not calculated to do the Criterion box office any good. "The Marriage Game** (Comedy) (5th week). Received extraordinary notices but cannot get started. Man- agement doesn't understand reason for public passing up shows. Between $4,- 500 and $5,500. "The Misleading Lady** (Fulton) (2d week). Started poorly, but claimed to have taken a spurt at the boxoffice. "The Pleasure Seekers** (Winter Garden) (6th week). Not doing big for a Winter Garden attraction. About $14,000 average is claimed. Might be good road show at popular prices. "The Strange Woman** (Elsie Fer- guson) (Lyceum) (4th week). Miss Ferguson's individual hit in this per- formance very marked. Show not do- ing over $5,000. "The Temperamental Journey** (Re. public) (15th week). Nearly through run. Nothing announced to follow. **To-Day" (48th St.) (10th week). Between $6,500 and $7,000. "Within the Law" (Eltinge) (66th week). Closing day of long engage- ment settled upon. Receipts now around $7,000 weekly. Chicago, Dec. 3. Business has been fair for the past month in most of the large houses. Weather conditions have been except- ional. The one cold snap cut in a little but not much. There have been no very bad failures. The closing of "A Trip to Washington" in the middle of the sea- son has caused some comment. This is the first time in a long while the La Salle annual show has not run through the full season. The long run of Will- iam Hodge at the Garrick in "The Road to Happiness" is also a matter of note. "High Jinks** (American). High class show, did $9,000 last week. Repetoire (Blackstone). Meeting with only fair returns. Receipts be- tween $6,000 and $7,000 last week. "The Beauty Shop** (Cohan*s). Ray- mond Hitchcock and company playing to excellent returns. Takings are around $10,000. "A Modem Girl** (Cort). About $6,- (XX) weekly. Strong attraction and should do better. "The Road to Happiness** (Garrick) (14th week). Doing about $12,000. "The Firefly** (Studebaker). Emma Trentini and a good company. Receipts near %9,000 mark. "Oh, Oh, Delphine** (Illinois). Has not been an unqualified success. Be- tween $8,000 and $9,000 last week. "The Traffic** (Howards). White slave play acted by a western company taking in $5,(XX) weekly. "Romance** (Princess). Doris Keane is still meeting with considerable suc- cess, although receipts have fallen off a little. Playing to $9,000. TYING UP PAVLOVA. The path of the Pavlova company now touring is being strewn with at- tachments, secured by Ben Atwell. who insists he has a partnership interest in the present company operating the Pavlova tour. His claim, says Atwell, dates from an agreement originally en- tered into between himself and Max Rabinoff. At Washington the bailiffs held back $800 of the Pavlova box office receipts and at Cleveland last week the amount was $7,4(X). In each instance a bond was given. Nathan G. Goldberger, who represents the Pavlova manage- ment, says that all claims alleged against the company will be fought to a finish. The Cleveland action with Atwell as the plaintiff, made as defendants. The Pavlova-Ballet, Incorporated, Enter- prises of Max Rabinoff. Incorporated, Richard G. Herndon. manager for the Pavlova company, and R. H. Mc- Laughlin, manager of the Colonial the- atre, Cleveland, where the dancer ap- peared. .Moller very buiy with Plp*-Orrh««tni r«- orderi. 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